


Running Up That Hill

by ballpoint



Category: Marvel 616, Young Avengers
Genre: Gen, Missing Scene, YA: Children's Crusade
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-05
Updated: 2011-07-05
Packaged: 2017-10-21 01:20:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/219317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ballpoint/pseuds/ballpoint
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kate needs to lead, even if it means hurting those she loves.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Running Up That Hill

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lilpocketninja](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilpocketninja/gifts).



> Characters and their trademarks belong to Marvel, no profit is being made from this fanwork.
> 
> A missing scene from _Young Avengers: The Children's Crusade_. It will get scotched anyway, so enjoy while you can.

That night, after the others took to their rooms- with Magneto and Pietro's little pissing match over Wanda, and Tommy high on the fumes of being in the running for Magneto's favourite grandson- Kate stayed behind, in the kitchen, using a poker to stoke the fading embers of the fire. Despite it being Spring in Wundagore, the night still had bite, and although Magneto assured them the rooms were suitably warm, Kate had passed, preferring to stay downstairs.

At the muffled creak of foot trod on board, Kate lifted the poker from the fire, its red hot tip glowing in the faint light.

"It's only me," Eli stepped out of the shadows, hands up, fingers splayed, and Kate sighed, as she slotted the poker into its spot by the fireplace.

"You should be in bed," Kate said, folding her arms under her breasts, her chin raised as Eli ghosted over to her spot. He, like her, was clad in his costume, sans the domino mask. "It will be a long day tomorrow. Besides, I'm not talking to you."

"So should you," Eli retorted, before he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," he said, as he rubbed his hand over his face. "It's been a long day."

Kate drifted back to her original spot in front of the fire, her palms open, her fingers splayed as she caught the heat from the flames which were flickering to life now. The air scented with woodsmoke, the crackle and pop of the fire in the hearth the only audible sounds for the moment. Eli stood beside her, the light of the flames catching his features. The vertical line between his eyebrows when he frowned, the cleft in his chin, the glint of his earring. Kate tried to be as dispassionate as she could, steeling herself for what she had to do.

"I have to think," she said. Knowing that Eli wouldn't leave things there.

"Are we really going to throw our lot in with Magneto, Kate?" _Bingo_.

"Are you questioning my strategy, Eli?"

"You're the leader of the team, and I _respect_ that-"

"By second guessing everything I say. How's that working out for you?"

"Magneto is a terrorist."

"Who's looking for his daughter, which so happens to coincide with our friends looking for _their_ mother- or have you forgotten that?" Kate ended on a low hiss, as she got into his space. Despite the fact that her face grew hot, she kept her voice low, so as not to rouse the others.

"No," Eli met her gaze. "I haven't forgotten. That's the only reason why I'm here-" he stopped, looking slightly sheepish, but firmed his lips as he finished his thought. "And you." Eli placed his hand on her shoulder, his fingers tangling in her hair. Kate shook her head, and hating him for making her do this, she rolled her shoulder, and shifted away from his touch.

"Eli, let's stop this. You're acting as if we're -- _together_ -" she took a breath, hating that it would hurt him, but they had a job at hand, and they needed Eli's focus and drive- just not on her. "I don't love you, I'm sorry, I don't. If I'm the only reason why you're still here, don't be. Not for me."

Kate looked away, and pretended to take a great interest in the fire. Eli didn't say a word for a good five minutes, and when he did, his voice was as brisk as hers, and she was sorry.

"Okay, whatever you say, _boss_. I'm here for Billy and Tommy and finding Wanda. _Nothing_ else."

"That will be satisfactory, thank you." Kate said in haughty tones, feeling Eli moving away from her, up the stairs, to his room. When he was gone, Kate closed her eyes, and rubbed at her temples, hating the moment, and-

 _What_? she turned around, her hand slapping against her thigh as she reached for the knife there.

"That wouldn't work against me, Hawkeye."

" _Magneto, how-?_ ," Kate croaked, before clearing her throat and repeating his name, as she saw him appearing from mid air, him seated on the bench that ran alongside the oversized table in the kitchen. She took a couple deep, calming breaths, as she turned to stare at him. He didn't have his helmet on, his hair pewter in the light. Instead of his costume, he was clad in black. It made his features forboding, his eyes cold. Kate stepped away from the fire, her eyes tracking up the stairs, knowing that Eli wouldn't come down, because she'd done that particular job too well.

"I can manipulate magnetic fields in the atmosphere to render myself invisible. I was passing by, and-"

"I guess you heard," she said, a dull red creeping up from her neck to her cheeks.

"I heard enough."

"Eli is- he has opinions."

"Don't apologize for Patriot. He's... an interesting young man."

"I didn't. I just said that he has opinions."

"And so do you, it seems." He said, his voice amused, and flashes his manner reminded Kate of Tommy, although Tommy wasn't as smooth, nor his tones as measured, but she could see why they both got along.

"I do what I need to do, Magneto. If it means that Billy and Tommy get to see Wanda and solve this mystery once and for all, well, I'm cashing in all my chips."

Magneto nodded. "We better find Wanda soon, for all our sakes. I daresay Patriot will be smarting for a while."

Kate set her jaw, because she didn't trust her voice.

"It's going to be a long day tomorrow, Hawkeye. I suggest you retire to your rooms and get some sleep."

Kate nodded stiffly, and as her hand touched the banister and she took to the stairs, his voice stopped her.

"Thank you," the words polite, but his voice too imperious for humility. "That must have been very difficult for you."

Kate didn't answer, and took the stairs, her eyes burning with unshed tears.


End file.
